As freezing temperatures return once again to the Eugene area we continue to be concerned about the 4,000+ homeless people in Lane County and wonder how they will survive. While many of us are sharing this Valentine’s day with our loved ones, we wonder if the City will show that they too “have a heart” by living up to their commitments to help our citizens in need.

During a Dec. 14 meeting, the City Council of Eugene passed a proposal to spend up to $100,000 to open a 7 night a week “Egan-like” facility to help those with mental health and addiction issues throughout the winter.

Then, two days before Christmas, the City moved in to close down our occupation site in Washington-Jefferson park that had been providing shelter, safety, and an estimated 500-800 hot meals per day to people in need.

While the City did open an emergency shelter at the Lane County Fairgrounds on Dec. 22 to accept some of the people that were displaced by the closure of our camp at Washington-Jefferson, that shelter only stayed open for 2 days closing on Christmas Eve morning and sending people out into the streets to fend for themselves.

Feb. 14 marks two months since the City Council voted to approve funding for a temporary “Egan-like” facility, and to date we have seen unsatisfactory efforts from the city in terms of following through on their own proposal. Was the vote by the City Council just a “Christmas Miracle” meant to make us all feel good for the holidays, or does the City of Eugene actually plan to follow through on their proposal of spending $100,000 to help our most vulnerable citizens make it through the winter?

This press release is from the Communications Committee of Occupy Eugene that has been empowered to speak on behalf of the larger Occupy Eugene body.